Improvement in wagon-brake



QUIMBY.

Wag0n Brake.

No. 106,406. Patented Aug. 116, 1870.

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6 afij z MEN I I I N. PEI'ERS. PHOTO THO en-ma fitters ASAHEL QUIMBY, OFSALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 106,406, dated August 16,1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN WAGON-BRAKE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

"I, ASAHEL QUIMBY, of Salem, in the county of Essex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in \Vagon-Brakcs, ofwhich following is a specification.

The first part of my invention relates to that class of wagon-brakes inwhich the horse orpower used to propel the vehicle is made to play animportant part in the operation of braking, and is accomplished by meansotconnecting-rods placed on the under side of each shaft, which are incomm unicatiou with the saddle-strap of the horses harness; also, withfrictionpulleys placed in front of the ,face of each wheel, at such anangle that the wagon-wheels shall not override them, however great theirvelocity at the time. of braking.

The second part consists in suitable means of regu-' latiug the actionof the brakes by means of a lever,

the handle of which is within easy reach of the driver at all times, andwhich raises or lowers two bolts pass? ing through slotsfrom the upperto the under side of each shaft, and which shut into eyes or slotsformed in the connecting-rods. These bolts, when lowered, effectuallyprevent the horse from acting on the brakes, and thereby keep thefriction-pulley at a proper distance from the wheels. of the vehicle.Figure'l is a side elevation of a vehicle embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan of the same. A A are the shafts of a wagon. B B arethe forward wheels, G O are-the fi'iction-pulleys, which are suspendedby means ofthe rod D, slotted guard E, and connecting-rods I" F.

D is a rod, extended across the front of the axle,

bent at a right angle at each-end; passing down the outside of eachshaft in an oblique direction, it is again bent at a right angle, andforms the shaft of each friction-pulley. front of the axle by means ofbands or bolt-eyes. This rod plays the important part of a support forthe pulleys O O.

E E are guards, placed outside the wagon-wheels, to prevent any externalviolence from displacing the pulley-shaft, and rendering its operationineflicient. -It also serves as a support, and is slotted, to allow thefree play of the shaft; as the pulley is raised or lowered from thewheel, theother end of the guard is rim onto the wagon-axle, and held inplace by the limbpin.

F F are connecting-rods, which operate the brakes. The forward eudofthese rods are bent at right anthe This rod is suspended from the gles,pass up from the under side'through slots in the shafts of the wagon,and form the hooks for attaching the saddle-straps of the harness to. Asthe rods pass along the under side, they are carried through bolteyes,to steady them, and, near their center, either are slotted, or an eye isformed, to receive the bolts G G;

thence being carried along, they are bent obliquely, and again, at aright angle, they enter the sides of the rod D. Thus, when forcing therodsbackward, it raises or lowers the rod D, and,'\vith it, the pulleysU U.

G G are the bolts, which, passing down through each shaft, entering theeyes of the connecting-rods, lock and prevent any further movement ofthe brakes. These bolts are formed by the ends of a rod bent at rightangles, and which passes across from the top side of one shaft to theother. This is retained in place by bolt-eyessecured to the top ol. eachshaft. The bolts are operated by the lever H, which is used by thedriver to raise or lower them at his pleasure.

The lever H is secured to the side of the shaft by a bolt entering theshaft, and forming a fulcrum,

LI are slots made in the shafts, to allow the passage of theconnecting-rodsupward, to which are attached the ends of thesaddle-strap.

J -J are bolts giving support to the rods F F. The action of the brakeabove described is as follows:

The horse, being secured to the shafts of the wagon by means of hissaddle strap and the hooked ends of the rods F 1?, (no breeching-strapbeing necessary,)

draws forward the vehicle as easily as any other; he also backs it thesame; but, whenever the lever H releases the bolts G G, the slightestback-ward motion of the horse, or as in a descending grade, the vehicleis thrown forward upon the horse, the pulleys are driven firmly againstthe face of the wheels, forming a constant resistance to the progress ofthe team, until the driver releases the same.

Having thus described-my invention,

'I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent The combination of thelever H, bolts G G, and rods F F, the whole operated substantially asandfor the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in .thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

. ASAHEL QUIMBY. Witnesses OSCAR Smoxns, RICHARD J. P. Goonwnv,

